The Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG — soon to be renamed Mercedes-AMG C43 — is the latest victim of German tuning firm Brabus. This time, Brabus has upgraded the car’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine to crank out an extra 43 hp and 37 lb-ft of torque, bringing total output to 405 hp and 420 lb-ft. It’s not the wildest performance upgrade we’ve ever seen from Brabus (hello, 591-hp AMG GT S), but it’s still a nice improvement for the C450 that slots between mainstream C-Class models and the wild Mercedes-AMG C63.
With the extra performance on tap, Brabus says the C450 can rocket to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 174 mph, compared to the factory-rated 0-to-60-mph time of 4.8 seconds. The extra performance comes thanks to a plug-in tuning module that remaps the twin-turbo engine’s boost pressure, ignition, and fuel injection strategies.
To go along with the engine boost, Brabus offers a new quad-tip sports exhaust for the Mercedes-Benz C450, as well as a new front splitter, a rear diffuser, and a carbon-fiber trunklid spoiler. New 19-inch AMG wheels (amusingly shod in winter tires for this photo shoot) are also included, as well as aluminum pedals and unique Brabus-designed Alcantara.
Though Brabus hasn’t yet announced how much these upgrades will cost, a standard 2016 Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG starts at $51,725 in the U.S.
